Sri Ramana Maharshi, Spiritual Teacher of Enlightenment

Sri Ramana Maharshi was an Enlightened Spiritual Master and Teacher. His teachings were most often transmitted silently, through the powerful presence of his aura. His teachings focused most profoundly on self-inquiry as a direct path to the Truth, and Non-Duality.

Sri Ramana was born in 1879 in South India. He had a fairly normal childhood with no indications that he was destined for spiritual greatness.

At the age of 16 he underwent a profound spiritual transformation as he dramatized and experienced the physical death of his body.

His inquiry led to the realization that the spirit is immortal, and the consciousness that is ones capacity for experience is ones higher and True Self.

When the body dies, consciousness remains, and gravitates towards an after death experience on par with the level of consciousness attained before physical death (Karma).

Sri Ramana discovered that he was the spirit that transcended the body, and was thus immortal, and untouched by death.

Fear of death vanished in an instant and his ego was lost in the flood of Self-awareness. Absorption in the Self continued from that time onward.

After this profound transformation Maharshi left his family and went to Arunachala, a sacred Hindu mountain, where he remained for the rest of his life.

He taught to all spiritual seekers equally, regardless of their backgrounds, knowing that within the Ultimate Reality, we are all one.

He maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his aura and calmed the minds of those attuned to it. He gave verbal teachings to assist those who could not achieve stillness of mind.

His verbal teachings stem directly from pure consciousness itself.

Sri Ramana did not associate himself with any particular Religion, School, or Path. He insisted that Self-inquiry was the quickest path to liberation, for once the True Self is revealed the ego falls away.

Although his primary teaching is associated with Non-Duality, Advaita Vedanta, and Jnana yoga, he recommended Bhakti to those who were fit for it, and gave his approval to a variety of spiritual paths and practices.

There are many excellent books written on the teachings of Sri Ramana:

Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. (Siddhartha Gautama) (The Buddha) 563-483 B.C.